Howard Dean: Debt-ceiling increase deal is a big test for Boehner

Passing a deal to increase the debt ceiling will be Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) biggest test, former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said Friday.

"I think Boehner is a great addition. I mean obviously I'd prefer [Nancy] Pelosi as Speaker, but I think Boehner is doing a good job as Speaker," Dean said on MSNBC. "This is his big test. This is going to be a big test. This is going to pass with Republican and Democratic votes and there are going to be wings in both parties that don't want this. This is Boehner's big test."

Officials said Thursday that negotiators were trying to reach a deal that includes around $4 trillion in budget savings over 10 to 12 years in exchange for a corresponding increase in the $14.3 trillion debt limit.

Any deal would likely need both Republican and Democratic votes to pass the House to counter criticism from the left and the right. Liberals, in particular, are worried about reports a deal could include changes to Medicare and Social Security.

Dean, the liberal former governor of Vermont, said he expects to see "restraint on entitlements," adding that: "I don't think you're going to see drastic reforms of the kind Paul Ryan was suggesting, but I do think you're going to see some restraint on growth — you don't even have to cut benefits, you just have to change the payment mechanism."

His comments came shortly before Boehner spoke at a brief press conference Friday in response to the latest unemployment numbers. Unemployment ticked up to 9.2 percent in June and only 18,000 jobs were added — numbers that fell below expectations.

"You've heard me say it before: A debt-limit increase that raises taxes or fails to make serious spending cuts won't pass the House," Boehner said. "We hope our Democratic counterparts will join us and seize this opportunity to do something big for our economy, and frankly for our future, and help get Americans back to work."

On Sunday, Boehner and other congressional leaders are set to meet with President Obama to see if a deal can be reached ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline.

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